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244 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD<br />
<strong>The</strong> h~jis Abo Nu*<br />
related it thus in al-DalZ1il (<strong>The</strong> Signs) through 'Amr<br />
b. Bakir b. Bakkiir al-Qa'nabi. <strong>The</strong>n Abii Nu'aym said, "I was told on <strong>the</strong><br />
authority <strong>of</strong> Abii d-Hasan 'Ali b. Ibrahim b. 'Abd Rabbihi b. <strong>Muhammad</strong> b.<br />
'Abd al-'Aziz b. 'Afir h. 'Abd al-'Aziz b. d-Safar b. 'Afir b. Zur'a b. Sayf b. Dhii<br />
Yazan who said it was related to hi <strong>by</strong> his fa<strong>the</strong>r Abii Yazan Ibrahim, and <strong>by</strong><br />
his uncle Ahmad b. <strong>Muhammad</strong> Abn Raja', and his uncle <strong>Muhammad</strong> b. 'Abd<br />
al-'Aziz and <strong>by</strong> (Abd d-Aziz b. 'Afir, from his fa<strong>the</strong>r, from Zur'a b. Sayf b. Dhii<br />
Yazan <strong>the</strong> Nimyarite who said, 'When my grandfa<strong>the</strong>r Sayf b. Dha Yazan<br />
pined control over A<strong>by</strong>ssinia . . .'," and he related it in full.<br />
Abii Bakr al-Khara'iti stated that Abn Yiisuf Ya'qiib b. Ishzq d-Qdiisi<br />
related to hi, quoting al-'Ala' b. al-Fad1 b. Aba Sawiyya that he was informed<br />
<strong>by</strong> his fa<strong>the</strong>r from his fa<strong>the</strong>r 'Abd d-Mzlik b. Abii Sawiyya, from his grandfa<strong>the</strong>r<br />
Abii Sawiyya, from his fa<strong>the</strong>r Khalifa, who said that he asked <strong>Muhammad</strong><br />
b. Wthmm b. Rabi'a b. Sawz'a b. Khath'am b. Sa'd, how was it his fa<strong>the</strong>r<br />
named him <strong>Muhammad</strong>. He replied that he asked his fa<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> same question,<br />
and he replied, "Four men from Banii Tamlm, including myself, went on a trip.<br />
<strong>The</strong> group consisted <strong>of</strong> myself, Sufyan b. Mujshi'b. Dzrim, Uswa b. Malik b.<br />
Jundab b. al-'Aqid and Yazid b. Rabi'a b. Kin~na b. uurhiis b. Miizin. We<br />
travelled to see <strong>Ibn</strong> Jafna, <strong>the</strong> King <strong>of</strong> Ghasszn. When we were overlooking Syria<br />
we alighted at a stream where <strong>the</strong>re were some small trees and we talked toge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
A monk overheard our conversation and, as he looked down on us, he said, 'That<br />
language (<strong>of</strong> yours) is not <strong>the</strong> speech <strong>of</strong> this country.' We replied, 'No, we're<br />
from a tribe <strong>of</strong> Mudar.' 'From which subtribe?' he asked. 'From Khindif,' we<br />
told him. 'Very soon will be <strong>the</strong> mission <strong>of</strong> a prophet who will be <strong>the</strong> very last<br />
one <strong>of</strong> all prophets. Hurry to him and take your chances with him and you'll be<br />
wise.' We asked him, 'What is his name?' 'His name is <strong>Muhammad</strong>,' he replied.<br />
He went on, "When we came back from <strong>the</strong> land <strong>of</strong> <strong>Ibn</strong> Jafna each one <strong>of</strong> us<br />
had a son and each one named his <strong>Muhammad</strong>."<br />
This means that each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m wanted his own son to be this <strong>Prophet</strong> whose<br />
coming had been foreseen.<br />
<strong>The</strong> hafig Aba Bakr d-Khara'iti stated that 'Abd All& b. Abii Sa'd related to<br />
hi, quoting H%im b. 'Aqqal b. d-Zahr b. Habib b. al-Mundhir b. Abii<br />
al-Husayn b. alSamaw'd b. 'Adiy2, quoting JBbir b. Jaddan b. Jami' b. ' U t b<br />
b. Sammzk b. al-Husayn b. alBamawlal b. 'Adiya that when death was close to<br />
d-Aws b. Haritha b. Tha'laba b. 'Amr b. 'Amir, his people <strong>of</strong> Ghassm ga<strong>the</strong>red<br />
around him and said, "You know that God's decree for you is near. We used to<br />
tell you in your youth to get married, but you refused. This bro<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> yours,<br />
d-Khazraj, has five sons, but you have none o<strong>the</strong>r than Mdik." He replied, "No<br />
one shall perish who has left behind <strong>the</strong> like <strong>of</strong> Mdik. He who is capable <strong>of</strong><br />
drawing fire out <strong>of</strong> stone is capable <strong>of</strong> giving progeny to Mdik, and h e heroic<br />
progeny too. Everyone, in any case, is headed for death."
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